System and method for providing a customized manifest representing a video channel

Abstract

Systems and methods for providing an output manifest are disclosed. According to at least one embodiment, a method of providing an output manifest representing a video channel includes: receiving, from a channel requester, a request for the output manifest; receiving input manifests including first and second input manifests; and creating the output manifest in response to receiving the request. Creating the output manifest includes: selecting at least one segment of the first input manifest, the at least one first input manifest segment bordered by a first marker; selecting at least one segment of the second input manifest, the at least one second input manifest segment bordered by a second marker common to the first marker; and creating the output manifest to include the at least one first input manifest segment followed by the at least one second input manifest segment. The output manifest is provided to the channel requester.

What is claimed is: 
     
       1. A method of providing an output manifest representing a video channel, the method comprising:
 receiving a plurality of input manifests including a first input manifest corresponding to a first source of a plurality of sources and a second input manifest corresponding to a second source of the plurality of sources, the first source and the second source being different from each other; 
 selecting at least one segment of the first input manifest corresponding to the first source, the at least one segment of the first input manifest bordered by a first marker comprising a first Society of Cable Telecommunications Engineers (SCTE)-35 marker; 
 selecting at least one segment of the second input manifest corresponding to the second source that is different from the first source, the at least one segment of the second input manifest bordered by a second marker comprising a second SCTE-35 marker, wherein the first SCTE-35 marker and the second SCTE-35 marker are associated with a same point in time; and 
 creating the output manifest to include the at least one segment of the first input manifest followed by the at least one segment of the second input manifest. 
 
     
     
       2. The method of  claim 1 , wherein:
 the plurality of sources comprises a plurality of live sources; 
 the first source is a first live source of the plurality of live sources; and 
 the second source is a second live source of the plurality of live sources. 
 
     
     
       3. The method of  claim 2 , wherein the output manifest is created to facilitate a switching, in the video channel represented by the output manifest, from the first live source to the second live source without interruption, such that the switching occurs without jumps during playback of the video channel. 
     
     
       4. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the output manifest is created to include the at least one segment of the first input manifest followed by the at least one segment of the second input manifest, separated only by the first SCTE-35 marker or the second SCTE-35 marker. 
     
     
       5. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the first SCTE-35 marker and the second SCTE-35 marker are associated with the same point in time, such that the first SCTE-35 marker and the second SCTE-35 marker are aligned to the same point in time. 
     
     
       6. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the same point in time is specified with respect to hour, minute and second in a same time zone. 
     
     
       7. The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 determining that the first SCTE-35 marker and the second SCTE-35 marker are associated with the same point in time. 
 
     
     
       8. The method of  claim 1 , further comprising:
 receiving, from a network affiliate, a request for the output manifest, 
 wherein the output manifest is created based on the received request. 
 
     
     
       9. The method of  claim 8 , wherein the output manifest is created further based on data that indicates programming preferences of the network affiliate and content to which the network affiliate has clearance to broadcast. 
     
     
       10. The method of  claim 1 , wherein the output manifest is created to further include at least one segment of a third input manifest corresponding to a third source of the plurality of sources. 
     
     
       11. An apparatus for producing an output manifest representing a video channel, the apparatus comprising:
 a network communication unit configured to transmit and receive data; and 
 one or more controllers configured to: 
 receive a plurality of input manifests including a first input manifest corresponding to a first source of a plurality of sources and a second input manifest corresponding to a second source of the plurality of sources, the first source and the second source being different from each other; 
 select at least one segment of the first input manifest corresponding to the first source, the at least one segment of the first input manifest bordered by a first marker comprising a first Society of Cable Telecommunications Engineers (SCTE)-35 marker; 
 select at least one segment of the second input manifest corresponding to the second source that is different from the first source, the at least one segment of the second input manifest bordered by a second marker comprising a second SCTE-35 marker, wherein the first SCTE-35 marker and the second SCTE-35 marker are associated with a same point in time; and 
 create the output manifest to include the at least one segment of the first input manifest followed by the at least one segment of the second input manifest. 
 
     
     
       12. The apparatus of  claim 11 , wherein:
 the plurality of sources comprises a plurality of live sources; 
 the first source is a first live source of the plurality of live sources; and 
 the second source is a second live source of the plurality of live sources. 
 
     
     
       13. The apparatus of  claim 12 , wherein the output manifest is created to facilitate a switching, in the video channel represented by the output manifest, from the first live source to the second live source without interruption, such that the switching occurs without jumps during playback of the video channel. 
     
     
       14. The apparatus of  claim 11 , wherein the output manifest is created to include the at least one segment of the first input manifest followed by the at least one segment of the second input manifest, separated only by the first SCTE-35 marker or the second SCTE-35 marker. 
     
     
       15. The apparatus of  claim 11 , wherein the first SCTE-35 marker and the second SCTE-35 marker are associated with the same point in time, such that the first SCTE-35 marker and the second SCTE-35 marker are aligned to the same point in time. 
     
     
       16. The apparatus of  claim 11 , wherein the one or more controllers are further configured to:
 determine that the first SCTE-35 marker and the second SCTE-35 marker are associated with the same point in time. 
 
     
     
       17. The apparatus of  claim 11 , wherein the one or more controllers are further configured to:
 receive, from a network affiliate, a request for the output manifest, 
 wherein the output manifest is created based on the received request. 
 
     
     
       18. The apparatus of  claim 17 , wherein the output manifest is created further based on data that indicates programming preferences of the network affiliate and content to which the network affiliate has clearance to broadcast. 
     
     
       19. The apparatus of  claim 11 , wherein the output manifest is created to further include at least one segment of a third input manifest corresponding to a third source of the plurality of sources. 
     
     
       20. A machine-readable non-transitory medium having stored thereon machine-executable instructions for providing an output manifest representing a video channel, the instructions comprising:
 receiving a plurality of input manifests including a first input manifest corresponding to a first source of a plurality of sources and a second input manifest corresponding to a second source of the plurality of sources, the first source and the second source being different from each other; 
 selecting at least one segment of the first input manifest corresponding to the first source, the at least one segment of the first input manifest bordered by a first marker comprising a first Society of Cable Telecommunications Engineers (SCTE)-35 marker; 
 selecting at least one segment of the second input manifest corresponding to the second source that is different from the first source, the at least one segment of the second input manifest bordered by a second marker comprising a second SCTE-35 marker, wherein the first SCTE-35 marker and the second SCTE-35 marker are associated with a same point in time; and 
 creating the output manifest to include the at least one segment of the first input manifest followed by the at least one segment of the second input manifest.